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In many religions man becomes a god, but in the
true faith the Son of God became the Son of Man. We sat in Bible
class opened to the first chapter of John when a Christian of
thirty years raised his hand, "I've never thought of Jesus
being eternal, that he's the Deity." The fact of the matter
is our salvation depends upon that reality.
No mortal of total human descent has had the power
within to resist the Tempter. "For all have sinned and fall
short of the glory of God" (Rom. 3:23). Death spread to people
because all of us since Adam have sinned (Romans 5:12). When Jesus
came the entire world sat in the region and shadows of sin's darkness
(Matthew 4:16). It was the Son who brought life and light to our
souls. The Lord's plan for our righteousness had to include the
sending of the eternal Son because there was no earthly mortal
capable of becoming the perfect propitiation, the atoning sacrifice.
For many yet still, the notion of Deity becoming something less
than God is incredible. The notion in their mind seems absurd.
"He came to His own, and His own did not
receive Him" (John 1:11). The chosen people had been waiting
centuries for the Messiah. When the King of souls came they rejected
Him. They wanted Him dead (John 11:8). He was spat upon, mocked,
beaten, lied about and eventually murdered. Light was unwelcome
to eyes that only knew the dark.
How could it be believed that Deity died? According
to the Gospel, it was not considered robbery for the Son to be
equal to the Father in essence, but He "made Himself of no
reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the
likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled
Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death
of the cross" (Phil. 2:7-8). The key to grasp this was in
the fact that the Son changed forms. It was called incarnation.
Or, as John 1:14 explained, "the Word became flesh and dwelt
among us." When Jesus died, Deity did not. The Bible explained
death as the separation of the spirit from the body (James 2:26
et al). When any mortal dies, the soul continues its course. The
body rests in the earth's bosom but there remains that part which
proceeded from the Creator and returns to its life-giver (Ecclesiastes
12:7). "And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness:
God was manifested in the flesh, Justified in the Spirit, Seen
by angels, Preached among the Gentiles, Believed on in the world,
Received up in glory" (1 Tim. 3:16). Without the eternal
nature of the Son, there could be no perfect atonement for our
sins. Without the death of God's Son, there could be no life for
the penitent.
"Now if Christ is preached that He has been
raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there is
no resurrection of the dead" (1 Co. 15:12)? Some questioned
the eternal essence of the Son; some doubted He lived the perfect,
sinless, life; some found difficulty with the idea the King died
as the essential atonement; others doubted the resurrection. Paul
combated the problem, "if there is no resurrection of the
dead, then Christ is not risen. And if Christ is not risen, then
our preaching is empty and your faith is also empty" (1 Co.
15:13-14). Was it so incredible that God loves us? The Father
wants a relationship with the beloved souls Satan deceived and
killed. No other plan removes the guilt, the shame of it all.
Salvation wasn't in any other name than Jesus the Christ (Acts
4:12). Without the resurrection there was no hope. All was lost
and meaningless without the risen Savior. Weekly participation
in the Lord's Supper, communion, was a proclamation of Jesus death
(1 Corinthians 11:27) and regular proclamation of the Good News,
a promulgation of life after the grave. Baptism itself was a unity
with the death, burial and resurrection of the Son. "Therefore
we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just
as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father,
even so we also should walk in newness of life" (Romans 6:4).
No resurrection, no salvation. Know the resurrected Lord; know
salvation.
Incredible faith is the faith the world has trouble
accepting. The world has not known God. But, Jesus said you could.
Listen to Him say, "If I do not do the works of My Father,
do not believe Me; but if I do, though you do not believe Me,
believe the works, that you may know and believe that the Father
is in Me, and I in Him" (John 10:37-38). Believe.
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